Reclining chair



- J. w. CAMPBELL Jan. 3, 1939.

RECLINING CHAIR 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1957 ya? w INVENTOR.MWWUM A44 ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 3, 1939.

J. w. CAMPBELL RECLINING GHA'IR Filed Nov. 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to chair constructions and more particularly toupholstered or overstuffed chairs of the reclining or tilting type.

While reclining chairs of the general type here 5 involved arewell-known, they have not had as extensive distribution or use as theymight have had because in some cases the chairs were too expensive, insome cases the construction was difficult to manufacture on a massproduction 10 basis and in other cases the chairs were of such naturethat they did not operate satisfactorily over long periods of time in atrouble-free manner.

One of the objects of my present invention is iii to produce a chair ofnovel construction which is not only free from the disadvantages ofprevious chairs but which lends itself well to mass production on aneconomical basis.

Another object of my invention resides in pro- 20 ducing a chair of theoverstuffed or unholstered type which is capable of being tilted orreclined for rest or lounging purposes and which is extremely simple inits construction.

A further object of my invention resides in a 25 reclining or tiltingchair which is so constructed as to render the same safe and practicalin use and which is capable of being locked in desired position.

Other and further objects and advantages re- 30 side in the variouscombinations, subcombinations and details hereinafter set forth and insuch further matters as will be understood by those skilled in this art.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like 35 numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the various views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a chair embodying my presentinvention and illustrated in its normal position;

40 Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the chair in its tiltedposition;

Figure 3 is a plan View of the bottom frame construction of the chairand shows the present invention incorporated in an otherwise conven- 45tional framework;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of one side of the bottom frame ofFigure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of Figure 3 in its normal positionand showing in dotted 50 lines the relationship of the parts when thechair is tilted; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of the lockingmechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I 55 indicates the conventionalside rails of a chair bottom framework, the numeral ll indicates thefront rail thereof and the numeral I2 indicates the back or rear rail ofthe framework. Seat spring support members l3, (three being shown inFigure 3), extend longitudinally from the front rail H to the back rail12 and are spaced apart as shown.

The chair illustrated has a pair of back posts it connected at or neartheir upper ends by top back rail l and at or near their lower ends bythe center back rail H5. The chair is provided with arms l1 and armstumps l8 which connect the arms I! with the side rails ID. The chair islikewise provided with front legs l9 and the framework of the chairbottom may be provided with the usual corner braces or strengtheningmembers 2%]. The structure so far described is conventional andrepresents a typical example of chair or chair construction to which thepresent invention is applicable.

Secured to the inner side of each side rail lil at the rearward halfthereof is a member 21 of a special configuration and hereinafterreferred to as a shaped member. This top of the shaped member H is flushwith the upper edge of the side rail l0 and the member has an under orlower edge or surface 22 which is characterized by being of a concavenature. This concavity may be produced in the member either by curvedsurfaces, by connected angular surfaces (as shown by way of example) orby a combination of the two, and this surface acts as a bearing surface,as will be hereinafter more fully understood. The surface is consideredas concave for the purposes of this application whether made up ofcurves, angular surfaces or both.

Associated with each side rail I9 and disposed beneath member 2! is abase or supporting member 23 which has a generally convex upper edge orsurface 24 and feet 25 which rest on a floor or other supportingsurface. At spaced points in this convex upper surface 24 bearings ofthe ball or roller type are provided. These consist, for example, of ashaft rod or other support 26 suitably mounted in cut-away or recessedportions 21 of the upper convex surface 24 and upon which are revolvablesleeves or rolls 28 which project somewhat above the convex surface. Itis these sleeves or rolls 28 with which the hearing surface of theshaped member 2! contacts during tilting movements and while the convexsurface 24 and the bearing surface 22 are roughly parallel or concentricto each other and relatively closely spaced, this is subject tovariation, as will be appreciated. 66

On the inner side of each supporting member 23 is located a projectingpin or dowel 29 which, in cooperation with a stop 30 rising from the ad-J'acent seat spring support I3, limits relative movement of the variousparts. In particular these two members prevent tilting of the chairbeyond a certain predetermined angle to the horizontal, therebyeliminating the possibility of the chair being tilted back too far forsafety and hence overturning. The seat spring support I3 is alsoprovided with a slot 31 substantially underneath the pin or dowel 29 andbelow this slot is a readily detachable projecting member, such as thescrew 32, which is secured in the side rail In. This member 32 preventsdisassembly of the supporting member 23 and when disassembly is desiredor required, such as for repair or replacement purposes, then thismember is removed with the result that dowel 29 can be caused to passthrough slot 3| and thus effect removal of the supporting member 23.

As best shown in Fig. 6, a looking or latching member is pivotallysecured to the bottom edge of rail l and this consists of a thinplate-like metal member 33 having an operating handle portion 34. Themember 33 is pivotally secured to rail ill by a suitable fasteninginstrumentality 35. At a suitable point the supporting member 23 isprovided with a horizontal slot 36 extending part way through thesupporting member and of such size as to receive the latching member 33.This enables the chair to be used as a non-tilt chair as, by causinglatching member 33 to pass into the slot 36, the construction is lockedagainst relative movement of the parts. Additional slots can, however,be provided in member 23 so as to lock the chair in its tilted positionor in an intermediate position and thus it is within the scope of myinvention to provide for locking the parts in any of the variouspossible positions.

It is thus clear that I have produced a chair construction which, whileextremely simple, is characterized by exceptionally efficient operationand which can be readily converted to a non-tilting or fixed condition.It will likewise be apparent that my new chair construction can bereadily disassembled when required and readily reassembled. The chairconstruction is characterized by its capability of being produced on amass production basis at minimum cost and with minimum manufacturingoperations.

The foregoing is intended as illustrative and not limitative and I may,within the scope of the appended claim, make variations, substitutions,modifications and omissions in the invention or construction. I may makethe parts of any desired material, whether metallic or non-metallic, andI may change the proportions and relative relationships between theparts for different sizes and types of chairs. While intended moreparticularly for use in connection with reclining chairs of theupholstered or overstuffed type, the construction may, however, be usedfor other purposes and in connection with other pieces of furniturewhere the principles and construction hereof find application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

In a reclining chair construction, a vertical side rail, a horizontalseat spring support spaced from said side rail, a shaped member securedto said side rail and disposed between the side rail and the seat springsupport, a supporting member disposed beneath said shaped member,bearings between said members for permitting relative movementtherebetween and removable means for maintaining said supporting memberin operative assembly, said seat spring support having a vertical stopmember and a slot spaced therefrom and said supporting member having alaterally extending dowel adapted to abut said stop member to limitrelative movement of the parts and to enter said slot for disassemblingpurposes when said supporting member maintaining means is removed.

JAY W. CAMPBELL.

